A pastry that has been delighting Bretons (and not only) for generations: the Breton cake ! It is prepared like a shortcrust pastry, and baked in a cake pan. The result ? A gourmet cake with a good taste of butter! A simple recipe to make at home with only 6 ingredients.
A few details about this Breton cake recipe
- flavors : a good buttery taste, with a slight hint of vanilla (that's my little extra touch).
- texture : it is a rather dense and crumbly cake that will remind you of Breton palets if you have already tasted them! Depending on the degree of cooking, it will still be slightly soft inside.
- difficulty level : very easy to make! Few materials needed.
6 ingredients only
- salted butter : as a 100% Breton recipe it is important to use semi-salted butter (not unsalted butter).
- egg yolks : there are a lot of them in this recipe, which is what gives the Breton cake its little biscuity side. Don't throw away the unused egg whites: take advantage of them to make meringues or pavlovas for example.
- granulated sugar : you can adapt the quantity to your taste.
- flour / baking powder : this is what gives density to the Breton cake.
- vanilla extract : it’s my little extra touch! It makes it even more delicious.
How to make a Breton cake?
- Whisk the yolks and sugar
- Add the softened butter and vanilla
- Add flour and baking powder
- Place the thick batter in the bottom of the pan
- Coat the surface of the cake with egg yolk.
- Draw 6 lines with a fork
- Bake the Breton cake
- Leave to cool before cutting into pieces
NB: the quantities and the detailed recipe are given to you at the bottom of the page.
My advice for a successful Breton cake
- use butter very soft, this is important so that it is easily incorporated into the egg yolk/sugar mixture.
- once the flour is added: do not over mix the dough. This allows the Breton cake to retain its softness.
- wait for the Breton cake to cool to cut it more easily (in classic slices or in diamonds as tradition dictates).
How to store your cake
The Breton cake is also called "travel cake" because it keeps very well! I advise you to keep it at room temperature, for about 5-6 days, in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
On the other hand, I strongly advise against the refrigerator: the butter contained in the cake would make it very hard once put in the cold.
Other recipes to try
If you like easy and friendly recipes, then I advise you to take a look at these other recipes from the blog:
- Far Breton with prunes
- Old-fashioned rice pudding
- Extra moist chocolate banana cake
- Raspberry charlotte cake
- Very moist lemon poppy seed cake
- Caribbean coconut flan with caramel
If you make this Breton cake, don't hesitate to rate the recipe below and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your beautiful cakes!
- 6 egg yolks + 1 for the glaze
- 210 g granulated sugar
- 250 g very softened salted butter
- 0,75 cc vanilla extract
- 330 g all-purpose flour
- 2 pinches of baking powder
- Preheat the oven to 170° traditional heat. Butter a 20cm round pan.
- Whisk together the granulated sugar and egg yolks until the mixture whitens.
- Add the very softened diced butter and the vanilla extract. Incorporate everything well, beating with a mixer or a wooden spoon.
- Add the flour and baking powder last. By hand, knead the dough until the flour is no longer visible (as for a shortbread dough).
- Pack this sticky dough into the buttered pan. Smooth the top by hand or with the back of a spoon.
- Put the last egg yolk in a small container. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the cake with the egg yolk.
- With the back of a fork, draw 3 parallel lines on top of the dough. Turn the pan a little then draw 3 parallel lines again. This allows you to create diamonds.
- Bake the mold for about 40 minutes (the duration varies according to the ovens). The main thing is that the top of the cake is golden brown. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack out of the oven.
- NB: the cake hardens as it cools. It is easier to cut once cooled. Store at room temperature only.
Yum, a Breton cake, all my childhood and my holidays in Brittany! My grandmother added bergamot essence and candied orange and angelica pieces! But it looks a lot like it... I'm going to try it!
Hello Anne-Laure, indeed it always reminds many things of the Breton cake! It's up to you to personalize it as in your memories :) See you soon
The Breton buckwheat flour cake is also very delicious by Laurent Mariotte, to try for gluten-free, the Breton buckwheat palets are a real delight, a treat for the taste buds, go to the stove ladies or gentlemen
Hello Annette, indeed I was told about a buckwheat version but I haven't tasted it yet. See you soon :)
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I made it a few weeks ago and it was super good! My family loved it :)
Thank you very much Samantha! Glad your loved ones enjoyed it, see you soon :)
Hello,
Very good recipe but my cake swelled, my pinch of yeast is too big.
How many grams of yeast do you recommend?
Thank you
Hello Patrice, to answer you, the pinches are very light, it is not quantifiable in grams or teaspoons. You just have to take a little yeast between your thumb and index finger and repeat another time because there are two pinches. See you soon :)
My first Breton cake but not the last, excellent recipe I will treasure it!! THANKS
Thank you very much Peggy for your feedback! See you soon :)
Hello! I plan on making this cake and have a couple questions. The ingredients say to use granulated sugar, but the instructions reference powdered sugar. Which should I be using? Also, It lists baking powder but in the comments, yeast is mentioned. Which is it? If it is yeast, is instant yeast OK? Looks amazing and can't wait to make it! Thank you so much for sharing this :-)
Hi Shirley, it's granulated sugar (not powdered sugar) and baking powder (not yeast), the automatic translation of my recipes can get wrong sometimes, sorry for this! I hope you'll like this Breton cake :)
excellent
Thank you Nathalie! See you soon :)
Hello, thank you for the recipe! What size mold do you use?
Hello Rita, the size is specified in the recipe, it is a 20cm round mold. See you soon :)
Hello, I would like to divide the quantities by 2, which mold and what cooking time would you recommend? Thank you
Hello Katy, I advise you not to divide by two because my recipe is already for a small 20cm mold... The Breton cake is soft in the center thanks to its thickness, if you reduce the quantities, it will be dry. See you soon :)
I make this recipe almost every week for my partner who loves it. We really love it, this cake is superb and a delight for the taste buds at tea time.
Thank you very much Delphine! I'm really glad you like this Breton cake :) See you soon
First try!!! SUCCESS since then I can't do without it. Thank you for this simple but delicious recipe I love it..
Thank you Manue! Delighted that you like this flagship cake of Breton pastry so much! With its little taste of butter it makes us all fall in love :) See you soon
Thank you for this good recipe, too bad mine wasn't shortbread enough in the center, a little too soft, I think I worked the dough too much, could that be it, do you think?
Hello Quentin, thank you for your message. If you prefer it when it is drier (less soft) you can extend the cooking time and/or cook it in a slightly larger mold. The more you work the dough, the drier the cakes are usually, so I can't advise you anything else. See you soon :)
Hello, I have a 24 cm mold. Can I still do it in it because I don't want it to be too dry.
Hello Isabelle, in fact if you keep the same dosages as me in your 24 mold, it will be flatter and therefore drier. You would need to calculate the volume to adapt the ingredients or take a 20cm mold. See you soon :)
Hello
I would like to double the quantities
Should I take a 40 cm mold?
Thank you for your wonderful recipes
Hello Magali, if you change the size of the mold, the whole cooking process will change. I advise you to make 2 cakes of 20cm rather than one big one which will have difficulty cooking. See you soon :)
Hello Aurelie
I made the cake and as always thanks to your well-detailed recipes the result was perfect, everyone loved it.
I used a 22 cm diameter springform pan, so the cake was probably a little lower.
Merci :)
Thank you very much Karine! I am happy that you and your loved ones like this Breton cake. See you soon :)
Warning great recipe! Thank you Aurélie, this cake is perfect. And I know what I'm talking about, 44 years of South Finistère under my belt, this cake has always been my drug. Here I find all the flavor of the original and authentic.
Small note, I think that yeast is unnecessary, it is a cake that must be well packed, not airy.
Thank you very much Julien! As a Breton myself, I am delighted with the compliment! A good taste of butter as we like. The yeast plays its role in the final texture, in my recipe at least, it should not be omitted. See you soon :)
This Breton cake is a wonderful discovery.
I tried it and I really enjoyed it. It's reminiscent of Breton cookies,
I keep the recipe carefully.
Thank you
Thank you so much ! Goodbye :)
Thank you for your very clear and detailed explanations.
Successful cake, I added prune cream, it's delicious
Thank you Marcela! See you soon :)
This recipe is slightly different from mine, but just as good.
Personally, I don't use yeast, but a tablespoon of beer and a tablespoon of Negrita rum instead of "Bergamot," orange blossom, or any other flavor that doesn't suit me.
Keep up the good work on your blog, it's fun and informative!
cordially
Thanks Pierre-Yves! See you soon :)
Hello,
I made it last night, and my family and colleagues loved it! It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside—a true Breton delight! Thank you for the recipe and all the others!
Thank you so much, Marie! See you soon :)